Benjamin Albertson Willis (March 24, 1840 – October 14, 1886) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Biography

Born in

Roslyn, New York Roslyn ( ) is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is the Greater Roslyn area's anchor community. The population was 2,988 at the time of the 2020 census. ...

, the eldest son of Charles Willis and Abigail Albertson, Willis was graduated from

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

in 1861. He studied law, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1862 and commenced practice in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, he enlisted in the Union Army in 1862. He served as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the One Hundred and Nineteenth New York Volunteers, and subsequently

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the

12th New York Volunteer Infantry The 12th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service 3 Month Service of the 12th New York State Militia The 12th New York Volunteer Infantry is sometimes confused with the 12th Ne ...

. He was

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

in 1864. He resumed the practice of law, and was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

1872-1878. Willis was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy (Forty-fifth Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1878 to the Forty-sixth Congress. He engaged in the practice of law and also in the real estate business. He married Lillie Evelyn Macauley, daughter of William Macauley and Mary S. Underhill, and had three children: Kate T. Willis, Portia Willis and Benjamin A. Willis Jr. He died in New York City on October 14, 1886. He was interred in Friends Cemetery, Westbury,

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. He was reinterred in Woodlawn Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2008-09-28 * ''Underhill Genealogy'' Vol. 5, pg 354 & 500, edited by Edwin Deats and Harry Macy, published 1980.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Benjamin Albertson 1840 births 1886 deaths Union College (New York) alumni Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly New York (state) lawyers Union army colonels Politicians from New York City People of New York (state) in the American Civil War People from Roslyn, New York Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century New York (state) politicians 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Delta Upsilon members